


Tome Raider

by Mina Lightstar (ukefied)



Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-03
Updated: 2008-01-03
Packaged: 2017-10-23 15:44:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/252068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ukefied/pseuds/Mina%20Lightstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not easy being small.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tome Raider

**Author's Note:**

> Measuringlife and I have a haphazard sort of deal: She plays **Baten Kaitos** and writes me fic, I play **Fire Emblem** and write _her_ fic. Takes place pre-game, but before Soren leaves the company to study.

The haphazard records library of the Greil Mercenaries leaves much to be desired. The room is rather small, there is only one table, and it's filled with more scrolls than books. Records upon records sit here, gathering dust, and over time, the organization has suffered, so searching for a particular scroll can be difficult. Soren thinks, _Real libraries are nothing like this hovel,_ for what must be the thousandth time, and resigns himself to a quest.

Layers of dust coat the shelves, visible to anyone who cares to look. Soren wrinkles his nose at the unkempt nature of their so-called library, but decides he is as much to blame as anyone else. The only people even remotely interested in what this room holds are himself, Rhys, and Commander Greil; Soren has more time to keep it tidy, if anyone does at all. So he sighs, and sets to searching. He is sure they have a Wind tome somewhere.

He finds Wind and its cousin, Thunder, a few minutes later. Unfortunately, they are both on the top shelf. Soren glares at them for a while, seething. Eventually, he admits that this will not get them down any faster -- and immediately curses his small stature.

Going for help is an option, but so is climbing the bookshelf -- and that happens to be less bothersome and humiliating. So Soren shoves his sleeves up his arms and sets to clambering up the shelf. He's halfway up and inhaling dust when he realizes A) this was a horrible idea, and B) he'll have to drop the books in order to get them down.

Then he hears approaching footfalls, and _then_ he's humilated.

"Soren?" Oscar's voice ventures. "What are you doing?"

"Exactly what it looks like," Soren replies curtly into the papers.

An uncomfortable silence. Then, "Would you like some help?"

Soren's finds solace in the fact that Oscar is one of the three people in front of whom he will not feel _completely_ ridiculous. (The other two are Commander Greil and Ike.) "... Yes."

To be fair, Oscar helps salvage what little remains of his pride. Instead of picking him up and setting him down, as a parent would a wayward child, Oscar simply watches closely while he slips back down onto the floor. Soren refuses to look the lance knight in the eye, busying himself with his sleeves. Now his black robes are gray with dust; he brushes them off as best he can.

"So," Oscar says, looking up. "What was it you were trying to reach?"

Trying not to pout, he points to the two tomes. "Wind and Thunder, if you don't mind."

"All right." To Soren's credit, even the lance knight has to step on the bottom shelf's edge and bring himself up on his tiptoes to reach the books. He grabs each one and brings them down to Soren's level, setting the heavy books into Soren's waiting arms.

Even holding them from the bottom with both arms proves to be a daunting task. (Now, Soren curses his slight frame.) He struggles not to let the volumes sink him, managing a small if cordially polite smile at Oscar. "Thank you."

The lance knight's eyes flicker toward his load. "Do you want help carrying them back to your room?"

How embarrassing. "No, thank you, I'll be fine." And Soren makes his exit, walking as fast as he can, given the weight of the books.

He passes Shinon and Gatrie on the way back to his quarters, but if they take note of the strain in his stride or the mess of his robes, neither of them deign to comment.

He reaches his room after what seems to be an eternity, and is then faced with another problem. Soren always locks his door. " _Oh,_ " he snarls to himself.

"Oh, what?" a familiar voice asks, and Soren glances up at Ike, who has just turned the corner. He looks run-down but content, the way he usually does after a spar with Commander Greil.

"Ike," Soren greets him, hoping he doesn't sound out of breath. "How was it?"

The commander's son runs a hand through his blue hair and grins. "Getting better. He still knocks me around like nothing, but he says I'm really improving. I hope he lets me take Boyd soon. That bonehead has been pestering me for a real spar all week. Hey, Soren," mild concern, "are you okay there?"

Soren blinks, and realizes that his arms are shaking a little, weary of their load. "Yes, of course, it's just, my key--"

"Here, here," Ike steps forward, taking the books from Soren's grasp. "Let me hold these for you. Wow, these are heavy! What are they?"

Now Soren feels a hundred pounds lighter. "Tomes," he explains, wrestling his key into the lock. "I want to study some more magic."

"You're going to read the whole thing? Both of them?" Ike sounds so put off by the idea of so much study, Soren almost laughs. "I'd get so bored."

"You should get used to reading now," Soren cautions. "Time will come when you'll have to go over all the records and reports your father does." His door opens into a tidy room with sparse furnishings, where a Fire tome already sits upon a table.

Ike chuckles. "Yeah, I know. Here, let me carry these in for you."

Soren lets the young ranger in, smiling faintly at the oblivious heir to the mercenary company. What Ike doesn't know is that Soren plans to study and read and brief so much, so well, that Ike will never be kept up late for such things.


End file.
